NFT: What was Howard Cosell like?

the first sportscaster to turn controversy into ratings.

And his relationship with Ali was such that he was the most reliable reporter as to Ali. And you can't imagine today (since boxing is pretty much dead) how important Ali was on the sports scene in those days.

Smart. Irreverent I really learned to appreciate him as I got old enough to understand his style. His relationship with Ali was incredible to watch. They bantered about in amazing fashion,
No trio has ever approached Howard, Frank and Dandy Don. Nobody even close. IMHO

In comment 14571029 greek13 said:

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Smart.

He was on the law review at NYU Law. He was a reasonably successful lawyer before becoming a sportscaster because that's what he liked.

Used words I probably still don't know what they mean.

As a youngster, I could not wait for halftime for his halftime highlights.

Lots of articles out there. Sometimes he liked a few drinks in the booth.

As others said, great relationship with Ali even though he despised the sport himself.

he was equally annoying and entertaining.

He did seem to elevate any event with his shtick/showmanship or whatever words one would choose to describe it.

Although this part was before my time, he gained fame for his relationship with Ali, which had highly-charged political and racial overtones in that Cosell supported Ali, publicized him, humanized him and befriended him. He also befriended John Lennon, which then led to his announcement years later when Lennon died during an MNF broadcast.

He was THE controversial member of the MNF crew, and he made it must-see TV. Back then, there were so few shows to watch (let alone sports televised mid-week), and the MNF ratings went through the roof because of him. People LOVED to hate him, but I just loved him. The cadence and tone of his voice were so different. His voice was the intro for the MNF games, and though it sounds hokey and kinda "tinny" sounding today, it got me so pumped for games I never cared about (watch the link below). Plus he did the halftime highlights for the Sunday games. Back then, there was no ESPN, and no one showed highlights, so having him talk about your team and some great play was a badge of honor. I'm getting wistful here!

He used words that you had to look up in the dictionary (or at least I did at that age!), he called BS against the league, his fellow co-hosts and anyone else he happened to disagree with.
Howard Cosell MNF Intro - ( New Window )

He made his opinion, stated it eloquently and strongly, and he knew all the facts. If you wanted to debate him you better know your stuff. Because of his intellect he came over as very abrasive, but that was part of the fun.

Puts morons like Stephan A. Smith to shame. They are all trying to emulate him.

He was annoying.

and part of why i loved him is that jock-types couldnt stand him. He was an intellectual in the play booth, someone with no other discernible connection to sports lorded over the commentating business. He was smart, observant, entertaining, annoying, and became a bigger celebrity in American culture than any commentator before his time or since. Monday Night Football was fantastic thanks to him. You really felt the narrative of the season unfold. He was great at building up and carrying through the NFL story lines. Better than anybody since, to be quite honest. He is one of the reasons fans of a certain age romanticize 70s football. The Steel Curtain, The Doomsday Defense, The Raiders' Pride and Poise. The Vikings Purple Gang. The frozen tundra of Green Bay. Cosell was a great storyteller and helped make these teams, rivalries, and iconic players bigger than life.

Law professor at Yale I believe
Also changed his last name to Cossell

but Howard Cosell was a HUGE media figure back then. Especially in the boxing and football areas.

In comment 14571056 blright said:

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Although this part was before my time, he gained fame for his relationship with Ali, which had highly-charged political and racial overtones in that Cosell supported Ali, publicized him, humanized him and befriended him. He also befriended John Lennon, which then led to his announcement years later when Lennon died during an MNF broadcast. He was THE controversial member of the MNF crew, and he made it must-see TV. Back then, there were so few shows to watch (let alone sports televised mid-week), and the MNF ratings went through the roof because of him. People LOVED to hate him, but I just loved him. The cadence and tone of his voice were so different. His voice was the intro for the MNF games, and though it sounds hokey and kinda "tinny" sounding today, it got me so pumped for games I never cared about (watch the link below). Plus he did the halftime highlights for the Sunday games. Back then, there was no ESPN, and no one showed highlights, so having him talk about your team and some great play was a badge of honor. I'm getting wistful here! He used words that you had to look up in the dictionary (or at least I did at that age!), he called BS against the league, his fellow co-hosts and anyone else he happened to disagree with. Howard Cosell MNF Intro - ( New Window )

it is so unusual for the main play-by-play guy to be the controversial one. In fact I can't think of another example. He was such a unique figure in the history of sports.

well educated, very smart has already been mentioned and true. He was also a complete egomaniac and somewhat paranoid. He could be the most charming guy in the room or a total ass depending on the day. He was a hustler in the no one out worked him kind of way. He had no fucks to give if he thought someone was being treated unfairly, he spoke out on the right side of biggest issues of his day. He was bigger than sports. His presence at a sporting event made it special and a big deal. There was no one like him before or after.

He was never the play by play guy on football or baseball. He was for boxing but that's a different type of play by play.

...
Fielding Mellish Honeymoon Night - ( New Window )

In comment 14571083 arniefez said:

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He was never the play by play guy on football or baseball. He was for boxing but that's a different type of play by play.

yes you're right it was Gifford. But he had the presence in the booth of a play-by-play guy. Funny that he wasnt p-b-p. He had no connection to the game. How many examples are there of that? dennis Miller comes to mind. Not many others.

I hated him. I always thought he was arrogant, full of himself, and he seemed to talk down to people. I remember seeing on tv, a bar that used to have a raffle every Monday Night. The winner of the raffle used to get the honor of throwing a brick through the tv when he came on during Monday Night Football. I loved that! Was he as bad as I remember him, probably not, but since it always seemed like he was sucking up to the Cowboys, Raiders, and Steelers I found him annoying. Probably because the Giants were terrible. I also liked Frazier more than Ali.

He was great on the Odd Couple
The Mouth that Roared - ( New Window )

In comment 14571097 smshmth8690 said:

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I hated him. I always thought he was arrogant, full of himself, and he seemed to talk down to people. I remember seeing on tv, a bar that used to have a raffle every Monday Night. The winner of the raffle used to get the honor of throwing a brick through the tv when he came on during Monday Night Football. I loved that! Was he as bad as I remember him, probably not, but since it always seemed like he was sucking up to the Cowboys, Raiders, and Steelers I found him annoying. Probably because the Giants were terrible. I also liked Frazier more than Ali.

hahaha.. i don't agree but i like your take. He was funny and the way he irked people was funny.

In comment 14571097 smshmth8690 said:

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I hated him. I always thought he was arrogant, full of himself, and he seemed to talk down to people. I remember seeing on tv, a bar that used to have a raffle every Monday Night. The winner of the raffle used to get the honor of throwing a brick through the tv when he came on during Monday Night Football. I loved that! Was he as bad as I remember him, probably not, but since it always seemed like he was sucking up to the Cowboys, Raiders, and Steelers I found him annoying. Probably because the Giants were terrible. I also liked Frazier more than Ali.

I was a Smoking Joe fan myself. Sucking Ali's balls weekly did get annoying.

that seemed to get lost in the showmanship, controversy and spectacle of some of the events. certainly nobody like him since.

which dramatized his topics

In comment 14571092 sb from NYT Forum said:

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... Fielding Mellish Honeymoon Night - ( New Window )

Here's Cosell in another Woody Allen movie
We believe prisoners were made to watch this as punishment. - ( New Window )

howard was an original

" I don't know what that means but if it's bad that's me"

In comment 14571097 smshmth8690 said:

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I hated him. I always thought he was arrogant, full of himself, and he seemed to talk down to people. I remember seeing on tv, a bar that used to have a raffle every Monday Night. The winner of the raffle used to get the honor of throwing a brick through the tv when he came on during Monday Night Football. I loved that! Was he as bad as I remember him, probably not, but since it always seemed like he was sucking up to the Cowboys, Raiders, and Steelers I found him annoying. Probably because the Giants were terrible. I also liked Frazier more than Ali.

all valid Drew - all true. But he monetized that personality and in that sense was way ahead of his time. Can't argue that he drew viewers - "eyeballs" or "hits" in today's internet terms.

In comment 14571082 arniefez said:

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well educated, very smart has already been mentioned and true. He was also a complete egomaniac and somewhat paranoid. He could be the most charming guy in the room or a total ass depending on the day. He was a hustler in the no one out worked him kind of way. He had no fucks to give if he thought someone was being treated unfairly, he spoke out on the right side of biggest issues of his day. He was bigger than sports. His presence at a sporting event made it special and a big deal. There was no one like him before or after.

This post above is right on. I was pretty young when Cosell was in his prime and I loved him. He made me want to be a sports journalist/reporter. I never realized that dream and instead became a lawyer, with much regret. On Mondays my friends and I would try to predict his opening for MNF and the halftime highlights. That voice, that cadence, will never be forgotten.

as did the vast majority of people I knew at the time. Not sure I knew anyone who liked him or at least would admit to liking him.

Why did ABC keep him on if he was so hated? Mainly I think because he gave gravitas to sports events that they lacked previously. He covered sports more like a news reporter and made it seem like the fate of mankind hinged on this or that game. And it kept people tuned in or at least Roone Arledge thought it did.

.

I will always give him that but with boxing he did play-by-play whereas football and baseball he did color though he knew little of either sport.

young to enjoy him as a personality.

I did know a couple colleagues who have both passed now who said Cosell was a mean, wretched person.

An angry, arrogant drunk who was driven to be in the spotlight.

I think the MNF guys have alluded to aspects of that in the past.

Dick.

In comment 14571152 FatMan in Charlotte said:

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young to enjoy him as a personality. I did know a couple colleagues who have both passed now who said Cosell was a mean, wretched person. An angry, arrogant drunk who was driven to be in the spotlight. I think the MNF guys have alluded to aspects of that in the past.

colleagues in television? Nobody achieves Cosell's fame through personality without being a complete narcissist.

during an era in which most sportscasters and sportswriters were shills. He knew what he was talking about concerning football, boxing and horse racing. Probably many other sports too, but those were the three I paid attention too when it came to him. He also did football play by play well ( The juice is on the loose ! ). As was pointed out he had a close relationship with Mohamed Ali. It allowed him to detect his illness and to report something was wrong with him before anyone else knew, perhaps even Ali himself.

I thought he was the one who most translated the socially important aspect of Ali. Ali was an original voice not only for minorities but he rattled past the breaking point the 1920-s to 1970's packaging and view of sports heroes as corporate and elites wished them to be portrayed...quiet and without much to say.

But beyond that he showed Ali as he was as a person and he did that for other sports figures.

He was fair and genuinely respectful to Joltin Joe and to Foreman and many of the fighters of his era. Hated Don King and turned away from the sport once Bob Arum and King got a hold of it. He was fair to the Nation of Islam and Im not sure Elijah Muhammed deserved fairness. To his credit he called out Ali for sham fights and did not promote his fights once he kept fighting past his prime and to his personal detriment. Felt he was used by Elijah Muhammed

He tore into the hypocrisy of the Olympic managers. He sided with the baseball unions stand. He took stands not to generate social media attention but because he actually believed them.

That's the positives. He was annoying and got his verbal schtick and ego in front of a lot more he could have said and turned off a lot of viewers who also turned out what he was saying.

He was the first reporter I can remember who exposed and explained the business side of sports as a topic.

Not much on baseball. Not much on basketball that I can remember outside of commenting on them as a business. Was a Kareem Abdul Jabbar fan. But mainly he covered Boxing and Football ( two biggest sports of those times) and overall sports as a part of America.

That's what I remember. Decent at allowing others to make fun of his schtick...he played along with the joke

he would have tore it up on BBI.

"Bob, you ignorant purveyor of bombastic bloat..."

"Joe, you factless mountain of moldy mediocrity..."

In that sense I wonder how he would have done in the world of 24/7 sports talk and shock jock radio and ESPN as it is currently constituted?

I think he would not be able to take the many mediocre sports talking heads of the current scene

Frazier had never been knocked down before, and had won the first Ali Frazier fight.

colleagues of him.

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colleagues in television? Nobody achieves Cosell's fame through personality without being a complete narcissist.

They were colleagues of mine and knew him in Manhattan. One said he was often in the same coffee shop as him and Cosell would regularly curse out people and call them "peons" and not worthy of being in his presence. I still remember the story 20 years later because I could completely hear Cosell based on the tales in his voice mocking those people, "Do you know I'm the great Howard Cosell and you are just a bunch of coffee drinking schlubs trudging off to a non-descript brick building toiling away in you land of nothingness".

...all of that. My uncle was a cameraman for ABCs MNF for about 30 years, and he loved Howard. Told me a story about Howard getting drunk in the booth and had to leave the broadcast booth one night after vomiting all over Don Meredith’s cowboy boots. Pretty sure it was public knowledge. Despite his very unique personality, I’ve always been told he was a very genuine and kind person.
It was said on here already, but the Howard, Frank and Dandy Don trio was as good as it gets. Other than Howard and Frank, I loved listening to Dan Dierdorf.

When working at an ad agency I was invited to a small private lunch at the network. Howard, who was not part of the gathering walked in during pre-lunch cocktails and was a total
ass. Most arrogant and obnoxious individual I have ever met or talked to

In comment 14571183 Pete in CO said:

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...all of that. My uncle was a cameraman for ABCs MNF for about 30 years, and he loved Howard. Told me a story about Howard getting drunk in the booth and had to leave the broadcast booth one night after vomiting all over Don Meredith’s cowboy boots. Pretty sure it was public knowledge. Despite his very unique personality, I’ve always been told he was a very genuine and kind person. It was said on here already, but the Howard, Frank and Dandy Don trio was as good as it gets. Other than Howard and Frank, I loved listening to Dan Dierdorf.

Dandy Don, Howard, and Gifford (the straight man) were indisputably the best Monday Night Football announcing team. It's not even close. Between Dandy Don singing "Goodnight Night the lights are out", or Howard's halftime highlights, it was fascinating must see TV.

In comment 14571188 PatersonPlank said:

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In comment 14571183 Pete in CO said: Quote: ...all of that. My uncle was a cameraman for ABCs MNF for about 30 years, and he loved Howard. Told me a story about Howard getting drunk in the booth and had to leave the broadcast booth one night after vomiting all over Don Meredith’s cowboy boots. Pretty sure it was public knowledge. Despite his very unique personality, I’ve always been told he was a very genuine and kind person. It was said on here already, but the Howard, Frank and Dandy Don trio was as good as it gets. Other than Howard and Frank, I loved listening to Dan Dierdorf. Dandy Don, Howard, and Gifford (the straight man) were indisputably the best Monday Night Football announcing team. It's not even close. Between Dandy Don singing "Goodnight Night the lights are out", or Howard's halftime highlights, it was fascinating must see TV.

In those early years MNF was a real big deal. It was almost like a weekly event, a real spectacle.

As a fan.


Bananas - ( New Window )

pompous ass, but entertaining. Maybe like Trump with a vocabulary, lol. He was always part of the story

brilliant, extremely well spoken, and had an amazing way of getting interviews, touching on the hot topics, and covering the big news events. He was quite pompous, but, he was also extremely objective in all of his views. He was one of a kind in so many ways.

but I think he l mellowed a bit over the years and he became both an institution and more likable. He certainly was full of himself and his opinions.

In comment 14571141 bluepepper said:

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as did the vast majority of people I knew at the time. Not sure I knew anyone who liked him or at least would admit to liking him. Why did ABC keep him on if he was so hated? Mainly I think because he gave gravitas to sports events that they lacked previously. He covered sports more like a news reporter and made it seem like the fate of mankind hinged on this or that game. And it kept people tuned in or at least Roone Arledge thought it did.

+1 Absolutely hated him on MNF, we used to watch with the sound off, there were times it appeared he was watching a different game from what we were seeing. I don't remember anyone I knew liking him, universally despised. But when it came to boxing he had his niche.

HC's call during a mid-eighties MNF game featuring the NYG.

it wasn't that he was must see TV
back in the day there were only 3 Networks!
he was on of the crew of Monday night football which would attract 40% of the audience on the night .

it a media landscape of just 3 networks - Cosell stood out he was pompous odd looking with unique way of talking

he had a terrible TV variety show on ABC for a year ..

In comment 14571234 aquidneck said:

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HC's call during a mid-eighties MNF game featuring the NYG.

Actually, I'm thinking now it was Madden. Guess all things blend together over time.